Books by "John Calhoun Bell"
7 books found
In "The Middle Period, 1817-1858," John William Burgess meticulously explores a pivotal era in American history, highlighting the social, political, and intellectual transformations that underpinned this dynamic phase. Utilizing a scholarly yet accessible literary style, Burgess integrates a wealth of primary sources, historical analysis, and critical interpretation. The book examines the ideological shifts that arose from the Enlightenment and Romanticism, reflecting on how these movements influenced American thought and societal structures, touching on key figures and events that shaped the period, including the rise of abolitionism and the debates surrounding westward expansion. John William Burgess, a prominent educator and political thinker of the late 19th century, possessed a deep-seated passion for understanding the evolution of American democracy. His background in philosophy and political science is evident in his analysis, which melds historical narrative with theoretical insights. Burgess'Äôs firsthand experiences with the burgeoning fields of sociology and political philosophy inform his arguments, framing the period as both radical and ambivalent, ultimately uncovering the complexities of American identity during this transformative time. Burgess'Äôs "The Middle Period, 1817-1858" is essential reading for scholars and enthusiasts of American history, offering a nuanced perspective on a significant era. Through its rigorous scholarship and engaging prose, this work invites readers to grapple with the foundational changes that have shaped the United States, making it not only informative but also profoundly relevant to contemporary discussions on democracy and identity.
The American Republic; Discovery--settlement--wars--independece--constitution--dissension--secession--peace
by Iliff (John W.) & Company
1892
A central political figure in the first post-Revolutionary generation, Felix Grundy (1775--1840) epitomized the "American democrat" who so famously fascinated Alexis de Tocqueville. Born and reared on the isolated frontier, Grundy rose largely by his own ability to become the Old Southwest's greatest criminal lawyer and one of the first radical political reformers in the fledgling United States. In Democracy's Lawyer, the first comprehensive biography of Grundy since 1940, J. Roderick Heller reveals how Grundy's life typifies the archetypal, post--founding fathers generation that forged America's culture and institutions. After his birth in Virginia, Grundy moved west at age five to the region that would become Kentucky, where he lost three brothers in Indian wars. He earned a law degree, joined the legislature, and quickly became Henry Clay's main rival. At age thirty-one, after rising to become chief justice of Kentucky, Grundy moved to Tennessee, where voters soon elected him to Congress. In Washington, Grundy proved so voracious a proponent of the War of 1812 that a popular slogan of the day blamed the war on "Madison, Grundy, and the Devil." A pivotal U.S. senator during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, Grundy also served as Martin Van Buren's attorney general and developed a close association with his law student and political protégé James K. Polk. Grundy championed the ideals of the American West, and as Heller demonstrates, his dominating belief -- equality in access to power -- motivated many of his political battles. Aristocratic federalism threatened the principles of the Revolution, Grundy asserted, and he opposed fetters on freedom of opportunity, whether from government or entrenched economic elites. Although widely known as a politician, Grundy achieved even greater fame as a criminal lawyer. Of the purported 185 murder defendants that he represented, only one was hanged. At a time when criminal trials served as popular entertainment, Grundy's mere appearance in a courtroom drew spectators from miles around, and his legal reputation soon spread nationwide. One nineteenth-century Nashvillian declared that Grundy "could stand on a street corner and talk the cobblestones into life." Shifting seamlessly within the worlds of law, entrepreneurship, and politics, Felix Grundy exemplified the questing, mobile society of early nineteenth-century America. With Democracy's Lawyer, Heller firmly establishes Grundy as a powerful player and personality in early American law and politics.
When we published our initial work on the Seminole Wars in 2004, we lamented the fact that such an important series of events was widely unknown to the American public in general and to the majority of Floridians. Not that we should have been surprised: The war was fought in one small corner of the nation and therefore of little concern to Americans as a whole, and most Floridians weren’t born in the state and would have had little opportunity to learn about the wars. Yet it shouldn’t have been that way. The Seminole Wars were a major conflict for the nation and arguably one of the most formative events for the State of Florida. The Indian Wars of the American West are famous worldwide, yet the Seminole Wars were bigger than any western Indian war. The foundations for most of Florida’s great cities are a result of the Seminole Wars, yet few of those cities’ residents are aware of the fact. It was an historical oversight we felt was in need of correction.
Follows the experiences of an aristocratic family from the turbulent antebellum years through the Civil War, during which they harbor dark secrets and jealously guard their privilege and power.